The parallels could be closer; indeed, they are in some ways in opposing directions, as it appears that:

1) Palin made improper calls to have an abusive man fired as a cop.

2) Patterson made improper calls to intimidate a woman victim into dropping charges against an abusive man.

See the difference? Palin improperly went out of the chain of command to do something which probably approximates justice. (Abusive cops should be fired.) Patterson improperly went out of the chain of command to do something to definitely subvert justice. (Victims of violent crime should not be intimidated so that powerful criminals can get off.)
 

The evidence against Palin's former brother in law is scant, at best. It was made very clear in the various investigations that Gov. Palin was being vindictive on behalf of her sister in an ugly divorce with a custody issue.

Some would argue that such scurrilous allegations are crime, in, and of, themselves.
 

But Palin was personally in a position to know whether she was in the right. (That is, if she believed what she apparently believed, she was not being vindictive, but acting in the cause of justice.) Arguably a crime? Perhaps, but there's not such a clear argument as in Patterson's case. That said, if I were her assistant, I would have said, "don't be stupid, you're giving your brother-in-law and any political opponents the rope to hang you with."